The Partridge Family Temple Scene

http://www.thepartridgefamilytemple.org/albuquerque/2020/05/14/echo-valley-90210/

Echo Valley 90210 Brenda Walsh’s crooked face smiles a crooked smile as she offers her brother Brandon a delicious green pear. Brandon’s blue eyes blink with Minnesota astonishment, “Brenda, you know mom said not to…

Reuben Kincaid studied the dinner menu as the other Partridges; Shirley, Laurie, Danny, Christopher and Tracy sit patiently sipping their beverages. Reuben nervously says, “Again, I’m really sorry I was late. I was just finishing up some last minute business.”

Danny’s freckles smile and say, “What airline?”

Reuben opens the menu wider and studies it like he’s reading a Coptic Greek manuscript. Shirley smiles and says, “Reuben, we’re just happy that you’re here. This is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Laurie and I discovered it when we were buying her a coat this last winter at Sears.”

Tracy puts her beverage down and says, “A J.C. Pennys for your thoughts?”

Danny nudges her and says, “Sears, you goof.”

Shirley turns to Danny and says, “You know how to act in a restaurant that serves food.”

Danny nods his head and apologetically blurts, “Sorry, Mom. I’m just so excited to eat as much shrimp as humanly possible.”

Shirley laughs and says, “Okay. Is everyone ready to order?”

The waitress arrives at their table, smiles and says, “Welcome to August Rooster Dry Pot. Have you been here before?"

Laurie answers, “Yes, my mother and I have been here at least three times.”

The waitress smiles as she takes their order. Soon the food arrives at their table and everyone hungrily dives in. Reuben notices that Keith isn’t there and asks where he is. Everyone at the table grows quiet and Christopher solemnly says, “Friday was a bad day for Keith.”

Before Reuben can even ask what that means more food is brought to the table.

Later that evening at the Partridge house, Shirley brings a tray of hot cocoa for everyone to sip. Reuben shakes his head and says, “Sorry, Shirl. I don’t feel too good. I think it may have been something I ate.”

Danny pipes in, “Didn’t we pretty much eat all the same stuff?”

Reuben wipes the perspiration from his forehead and weakly says, “I ordered some kind of appetizer. It tasted a little off but I’ve never had Chinese food from the Hubei Province before.”

Shirley gets up and puts her gentle hand against Reuben’s forehead. She looks concerned and says, “Reuben, you’re staying here tonight. I’ll make the couch up so I can keep and eye on you. Do you remember what you ordered exactly?”

“I don’t know, Shirl. I’m not feeling that well”, as he starts coughing uncontrollably. “Wait, yes. Now I remember. It was the Number 7…it was called Spike Glycoprotein Hemagglutinin Esterase Envelope Small Membrane Protein Membrane Protein Nucleoprotein Genomic RNA with MSG.”

At that point Reuben starts shivering as the fever kicks in and his body starts to ache and then he slowly loses consciousness. Every so often he wakes up drenched in sweat with Shirley sitting atop a white leather stool with golden legs playing a gigantic golden harp. The music is so soothing it helps Reuben fall back into his…
..the fever dreams begin.

The first one is Danny running on the beach screaming, “I don’t go to Spring Breakfast! I am Spring Breakfast!” as he picks every single red freckle off his naked body and flings them into the sky turning the daytime black and now all the stars are bouncing balls of fire.

Reuben says, “I don’t think the stars should be so hot.”

Then the fever dream flows into another.

Christopher and Tracy are in the backyard building a gigantic round ball of white clay as Laurie plucks Danny’s fiery freckled stars from the sky and plants them on top of the white clay ball like strange flowers made of flame. Reuben notices that Christopher and Tracy don’t have any skin on their hands or fingers anymore.

Then the dream of fever changes.

He’s back at the restaurant and Danny is taking his order. But as Reuben yells out that he doesn’t want the appetizer, no words come out and Danny keeps smiling and pointing at Number 7. The next thing Reuben knows is he’s inside a giant dry pot with everyone he’s ever known. And when he looks up, Danny is smiling as he stirs them together and his name tag for some reason says “PAN”.

Then the dream swirls into Shirley outside playing her golden harp and it’s no longer nighttime and the fiery stars are gone and the birds are chirping. And then…

Reuben hears the familiar suck suction sound of his favorite Delta stewardess and when he looks down, he notices that her beautiful brunette hair is shorter. And before he can compliment her new hairdo, he realizes its Keith Partridge copping his joint.

And then Reuben wakes up feeling completely better. No fever. No body aches. No cough. No upset stomach.

The room is quiet now. The harp sits next to the stool but Shirley is no where to be scene. But sitting in the chair is Keith Partridge wearing a white robe and Jesus sandals. He smiles and says, “复活节快乐”